04/07/2026
World Cup fever is proving what pubs have always known
The latest figures showing a 90% increase in pub revenues during the World Cup are fantastic news for the industry, but they won’t surprise many of us behind the bar.
Here at The Goat’s Head, we’ve seen first-hand what happens when you give people a reason to leave the house and enjoy their local. Since the tournament started, we’ve invested in a huge garden screen, brought in fantastic street food traders, stayed open later for the late kick-offs and, most importantly, created an atmosphere where people can come together to support England.
Yes, it takes investment. It means longer hours, more staff, extra stock and plenty of planning. But seeing hundreds of people enjoying themselves with friends and family makes it worthwhile.
The World Cup reminds us of something that’s easy to forget when headlines focus on pub closures. People still want to go to the pub. They still value that shared experience you simply can’t recreate in your living room.
What frustrates me is that it often takes an event like the World Cup to remind everyone just how important pubs are.
The appetite is there all year round. The challenge isn’t persuading people to visit – it’s running a pub in an environment where costs continue to rise faster than profits. Energy bills, wages, business rates and VAT all eat into what should be successful trading days.
Even when we have a brilliant night, a large chunk of what we’ve earned disappears in tax and rising operating costs before we’ve had chance to reinvest in the business.
Despite that, we’ll keep doing what we do best.
Pubs aren’t just businesses; they’re places where friendships are made, birthdays are celebrated, charities raise thousands of pounds and entire communities come together. That’s exactly what’s been happening at The Goat’s Head throughout this tournament.
With England’s next game kicking off at 1am, we’ll be open right through the night because that’s what our customers want. It would certainly be easier to close the doors at a normal time, but we’d rather create another memorable occasion for the village.
The World Cup will come and go, but the message should remain.
People still love their local pub. They just need pubs to be given the opportunity to thrive, not simply survive.
